


Twelve

by SlytherinCat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Apologies, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinCat/pseuds/SlytherinCat
Summary: A relationship built on 6 months, 12 charms, a lot of history and personal growth.
Relationships: Katie Bell/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21
Collections: Charms: 2020 Round Two





	Twelve

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [TheSlytherinCabal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSlytherinCabal/pseuds/TheSlytherinCabal) in the [DBQ2020Round2](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBQ2020Round2) collection. 



> Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me but are the property of J.K.R. and Warner Bros. No copyright infringement is intended. The theme for this round of the competition was Charms and my chosen pairing was Draco Malfoy/Katie Bell. Comments/Reviews are encouraged by The Slytherin Cabal's Admin Team on all stories in Death By Quill, but comments left by readers are set to be moderated by story authors until the end of the competition in order to protect participants' anonymity. Thank you to my beta for their time and help.

* * *

She had received a bracelet with two pendants on the 12th of May; only ten days after the Final Battle. There had been a note that came with it but that hadn’t given her any clues. It had just read: 

_ Please, forgive me. _

The following month, on the 12th of June, another package came. This time with another two pendants inside and another note. 

_ I am so very sorry. _

Again, she hadn’t known who it could be. There had been many people who would feel the need to apologize to her. Just like she felt the need to apologize to others. 

War tended to leave its survivors with guilt. 

Every month on the 12th she had received two more pendants that fit on her bracelet and another note asking for forgiveness. Always short. Always just a sentence. She still hadn't known who it was from. She had immediately felt comforted by the feel of them, though. They had emanated a warmth that calmed her. 

She had toyed with the idea that it could have been sent with ill intent, but she did not get that feeling at all. So, she had dutifully added the charms to the bracelet. 

On the 12th of October, she received a letter. This time there were no pendants and the attached missive was a bit longer. 

_ Two years ago today I almost killed you. I regret my decisions that led to your pain every day.  _

_ Please, forgive me. _

_ I will not send you more charms. _

_ Next time, I will apologize in person. _

She had crumpled the note and thrown it across the room in a spark of rage. It hadn’t lasted long. Not even five minutes later she had walked over and picked it back up. 

She couldn’t deny the warm, pleasant feeling she got from his pendants. She had added all of them to the bracelet and put it on for the first time. 

She slept without nightmares that night. 

* * *

When she walked out of St. Mungo’s, he was waiting for her.

She knew what he wanted. He had told her he would show up in his letter and, even after almost two weeks of mulling it over, she wasn’t certain how she would react if he finally plucked up the courage to approach her; which from the looks of it, would really be today. 

“Miss Bell, I-“ his voice sounded uncertain as he stood in front of her.

“Miss Bell? Malfoy, are you serious? I thought you had manned up by now. You took long enough, so drop the formalities and just say it.”

“I…,” he cleared his throat and looked away. He seemed to take a calming breath before focusing on her again. She couldn’t look away from those bright eyes. “Katie,“ he said this time with a strong voice. “I am deeply sorry for having caused you so much harm and pain. I almost cost you your life. I will do my best to try and make it up to you.”

He took another step forward and held out his hand. Two pendants were lying in his palm. She reached for them without thought and the light caught on the bracelet she hadn’t taken off since that day.

“You know, today is not the 12th, Draco.” 

* * *

That had been nineteen years ago now; almost to the day. 

She was standing on the porch of their vacation home, a cup of tea in her hands. It had taken her three years to realize she had slowly started to fall for him during his genuine - sometimes almost desperate - efforts to earn her forgiveness.

In truth, she’d forgiven him the day he had found the courage to apologize to her in person. She couldn’t explain how she had been able to forgive him so quickly and fully, but something inside of her had. It had just taken some time to come to terms with it and her budding feelings for him. 

They had talked about the necklace and the war many times during their years together and there was still always a shadow crossing his face whenever either of them brought it up; but that was normal. They had both learned to not be controlled by their regrets and the dark memories because she had them too. She also had made mistakes that caused innocent people to be hurt.

She hadn’t asked about the magic in the pendants he'd given. She could feel it but she hadn’t wanted to know. At least, not initially. 

The night she had kissed him for the first time, she finally asked him to explain the meaning of the pendants. 

“During the time You-Know-…Vol- Voldemort lived in the Manor, I had to learn how to protect myself against all the bad memories and darkness. So I taught myself the Patronus Charm. Actually, Snape taught it to me, but just in theory. He couldn’t actually be there.” 

“You learned the Patronus Charm? In that environment? By yourself?” Katie leaned forward in awe.

Draco nodded. “I always had a knack for Charms. I think I get it from my mother, although she never managed a Patronus, even to this day.” Katie took his hand and linked their fingers. “I couldn’t walk around with my Patronus following me everywhere, so I experimented with it. I managed to infuse a part of the Patronus Charm into my family ring and it helped. Every day, I practised and the Patronus inside my ring got stronger - it never flickered or grew faint. I had fewer and fewer nightmares and I could feel again… hope mostly. I started infusing the Charm into other pieces of jewellery. When I was sure I knew how to do it properly I made a necklace for my mother. She says it’s the only thing that saved her.” 

“Oh, Draco.” Katie kissed his hand that was still entwined with hers. 

He gave her a small smile. “Anyway, that’s what’s in your pendants. A variation of my Patronus Charm. Besides my mother, you’re the only one who has something like this. Every single pendant has a piece of my happy memories woven into them. ” 

* * *

“She did it! She’s doing it!” Draco yelled suddenly from right next to her. She almost dropped her tea. 

She’d been so lost in her memories that she hadn’t paid attention to her husband’s lithe form no longer standing in the garden.

He was right, however. 

Their daughter was flying around the garden as if she didn’t have a care in the world - which frankly, she didn’t. 

“I put a few charms on her broom so it would hold steady,” he said cautiously keeping an eye on their little girl. 

“It’s like training wheels,” Katie stated.

“Like what?” he turned to her. 

“Something Hermione told me about years ago when Rose began riding a bike.” 

“I’m afraid of bikes. They’re almost as bad as cars or Merlin forbid those terrifying motorcycles.”

“I know, love. You wrangle vicious students every day but Muggle transportation scares the shit out of you.” 

“For good reason,” he grumbled; she snickered.

“Is she okay flying alone? Shouldn’t we stay closer?” Katie asked after a moment.

“Who’s the scared one now?” he mocked her, but sobered when he saw genuine worry in her eyes. “I cushioned the entire garden and I put a failsafe into her broom if she should indeed fall. The edges of the property have a charm woven into them to guide her back to the house and the house itself has another one of my own creations to make sure she doesn’t crash into a window or something like that.”

“So, she’s essentially flying in a giant charm bubble? Well done Professor Malfoy, but a bit much, don’t you think? Neither one of us had that many cushioning charms and security measures in place when we learned.” 

“I know, but she’s my little girl.”

Katie smiled and put her tea down on the small table next to her before turning to him and cupping his face in her hands. The charm bracelet sparkling in the sun.

“I know,” she murmured and kissed him sweetly. 

He smiled into the kiss and pulled her snuggly into his side immediately after. 

“She asked for her own bracelet last night,” Katie told him. 

Draco angled his head down to look into her eyes. He was still smiling. “I’m already working on it.” 

“Mom! Did you see? I can do it! I did it! It’s so cool!” Their daughter screamed when she flew close to them successfully interrupting Katie’s reply.

“I do see, sweetheart,” she called back with a laugh. “I am so, so proud of you! You’re doing great!”

“I know, right?! I don’t know why it took you both so long to let me try it! I’m almost nine, guys!” 

“It’s your mum’s fault. She was scared,” Draco yelled back. 

“Liar.” Katie elbowed him hard which only made him laugh. 

“Oh, dad?” their daughter yelled when she was close to them again. “Can you get rid of the cushioning charm you put like…everywhere? It feels like I’m wobbling. I know where I’m allowed to go. I don’t need to be directed back to you. Our garden is giant; enough room to fly around without leaving the property. Thanks!” 

“Are you sure?” Draco asked.

“Dahaad!”

“Okay, fine. I’ll take them off,” he relented.

He let go of his wife to wave his wand in intricate patterns. 

“She’s a natural, like I said,” Katie commented admiring his skill. 

“Yes, yes, you were right, darling.” 

When he was done he stepped up to her again and put an arm around her pulling her close and kissing her temple. 

“Sometimes, I still can’t get over the fact that you’re the Charms Professor. I used to be Flitwick’s favourite.”

Draco chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows. “Look at it this way, you're still the Charms Professor’s favourite.”

“No, stop that!” 

They both whipped their heads around when their daughter shot past them and made a sharp right turn.

“You didn’t take off all of them, did you?” Katie asked after a pause.

“Of course not. Who do you take me for? I just made them very, very subtle.” 

“You’d better.”

  
  



End file.
